Boston Bruins
“I believe they are the only team that has been given permission to talk to Andersson.”
Could the Bruins — now winners of six games in a row and eight of their last nine games — be buyers before March’s NHL trade deadline?
According to several reports on Saturday, the Bruins are firmly in the mix for Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson — who is expected to be on the move in the coming weeks.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman noted on Saturday’s Hockey Night in Canada broadcast that there are several teams interested in plucking the minutes-eating blueliner out of Calgary.
However, he added that the Bruins might be the leaders in the clubhouse, as Boston has already started potential contract talks with Andersson if a deal is struck.
“The Flames have called around to a bunch of teams that were interested, or other teams that maybe they hadn’t heard as much from yet, I heard today, and they said we want to decide if we’re going to proceed with this so we want everybody’s most serious offer. That is happening,” Friedman said.
“The team that appears to be in the driver’s seat, although nothing is done until it’s done, is Boston. Boston is very serious about its offer, and no one is confirming or denying this, but I believe they are the only team that has been given permission to talk to Andersson, and I do believe they’ve done some pretty significant extension talks.
“Nothing is done until it’s done. Both things have to work out. The Bruins are not believed to be interested in this without an extension. Vegas is there. It’s not believed their offer is as strong as Boston’s, but that’s for now, that can always change.”
A long-term contract extension would be paramount for Boston in order to swing a trade like this. As encouraging as Boston’s play has been since the start of the new year, a retooling Bruins roster is not in a position to be acquiring rentals.
But if the Bruins were able to trade for the 29-year-old Andersson and sign him to a long-term deal (much like how Boston dealt for Hampus Lindholm and immediately signed him to an eight-year, $52 million deal in March 2022), it would shore up a deficient spot on the depth chart for the foreseeable future.
Locking in a D corps featuring the likes of Charlie McAvoy, Nikita Zadorov, Andersson, and Lindholm long-term would give Boston a pretty stout foundation on the blue line for the next few years — while Jonathan Aspirot is already proving his value as a legitimate NHLer this season.
There’s a lot to like about how Andersson would elevate Boston’s D corps for the next few seasons.
Beyond his value as a legitimate top-four, right-shot defenseman, Andersson has averaged 24:01 of ice time over the last four seasons with Calgary. Since the 2023-24 season, only six players have also blocked more shots than Andersson (472).
Andersson’s presence alone should stabilize Boston’s D corps for the long haul, but he’d also add another offensive element to the team’s back end. He has averaged 44.3 points per season since 2022, and has already scored 10 goals and 30 points through 48 games for a cellar-dwelling Calgary team.
As valuable as a player like Andersson would be for Boston — especially as a player whose age coincides with other franchise stalwarts in David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy — it remains to be seen if Boston can get the veteran defenseman to cross the t’s and dot the i’s on a new deal in order to make the trade work.
It also remains to be seen what the Bruins would have to give up in order to compete such a deal — especially for such a valuable asset like an impactful right-shot defenseman.
The Bruins could part with younger players on the NHL roster and in the system like Mason Lohrei (fresh off a two-goal game on Saturday vs. Chicago) and Matthew Poitras. The biggest hurdle might be whether or not Boston would have to part with a first-round pick to complete the trade.
Boston does have four first-round picks over the next two years, but the club may not be willing to give up either of their two 2026 first-round selections (either Boston’s own or Toronto’s pick), especially in a year where there should be plenty of legitimate talent in this 2026 draft class.
If Calgary is willing to bite on a 2027 first-round pick — especially Florida’s first-round selection acquired in the Brad Marchand trade — that might be far more palatable for Boston.
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